Information Center

All Town Offices will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. The Recycling Center (closed Mondays) will be closed on Tuesday May 26th, reopening on Wednesday, May 27th.

Plant Swap Saturday, May 9th We had scheduled a plant swap prior to the COVID19 quarantine. Now the weather is uncooperative for May 9th (snow?!!?) So if you have plants and want to swap, we will leave a table on site for the week of May 12 through May 16th for an informal swap. Please remember you need a face mask to be here and must keep a six foot distance from other people.

Bring a pest-free, beautiful plant, or two or three for trade; they should be potted. We will not accept invasive species. See www.dec.ny.gov If you don't want to swap for another plant, we have seed packets you can take.

Use a marker or label to identify your plant and feel free to include simple care instructions.

Bring one – take one. Bring two – take two.

Trees and shrubs are plants too. Thinning out forsythia or lilac hedges; or did you overplant tomato plants and have extra? Bring them in too.

The New Paltz ReUse gets in lots of plant pots so we will not accept anything without a plant in it. Unless it’s a clay pot. We take them at any time.

Drug Disposal Guidelines and Locations

The following guidelines were developed to encourage the proper disposal of medicines and help reduce harm from accidental exposure or intentional misuse after they are no longer needed:

Follow any specific disposal instructions on the prescription drug labeling or patient information that accompanies the medicine. Do not flush medicines down the sink or toilet unless this information specifically instructs you to do so.

Take advantage of programs that allow the public to take unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Call your local law enforcement agencies to see if they sponsor medicine take-back programs in your community.

Medication should always be kept in the original prescription bottle and in the possession of the patient whenever possible.

If no disposal instructions are given on the prescription drug labeling and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash following these steps:

Remove them from their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds, dirt or kitty litter (this makes the drug less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through the trash seeking drugs).

Place the mixture in a sealable bag, empty can or other container.

Environmental Concerns

Some people are questioning the practice of flushing certain medicines because of concerns about trace levels of drug residues found in surface water, such as rivers and lakes, and in some community drinking water supplies.

“The main way drug residues enter water systems is by people taking medicines and then naturally passing them through their bodies,” says Raanan Bloom, Ph.D., an environmental assessment expert at FDA. “Many drugs are not completely absorbed or metabolized by the body and can enter the environment after passing through wastewater treatment plants.”

Many law enforcement agencies in New York State, including the New York State Police, offer permanent drug collection boxes in their stations. For a list of these, please visit Pharmaceutical Drop-Off Locations